Meet the 2026 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence Winners
category listing
If you are interested in getting the details on all businesses that made it to the 2026 national awards, you can meet the finalists or get a downloadable pdf of the 2026 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence brochure.
New Tourism Business of the Year / B&B and Guest House of the Year
Small Hotel of the Year / Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
GOLD: Morgan Experience, Worcestershire
Silver: Ad Gefrin Anglo-Saxon Museum & Whisky Distillery, Northumberland
Bronze: National Justice Museum, Nottinghamshire
Experience of the Year / Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
Experience of the Year
GOLD: Blacksmithing Experience Days (Oldfield Forge Ltd), Herefordshire
Silver: The Wizard Walk of York, North Yorkshire
Bronze: Make Your Own Distilled Spirit (Shed One Distillery), Cumbria
Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
GOLD: Clawford Lakes Resort and Spa, Devon
Silver: Bredon View Glamping Retreats, Worcestershire
Bronze: Kaya at Blackhill Farm Ltd, Herefordshire
Self Catering Accommodation of the Year / Pub of the Year
Business Events Venue of the Year / Taste of England Award
Tourism Superstar
The annual Tourism Superstar competition sees 10 finalists put to the public vote to find one winner (individual or small team) who has gone above and beyond in their job to give their visitors the best experience.
Mick Hurst from Worcestershire’s Battle of Evesham Historical Events and Re-enactments
This year’s Tourism Superstar is Mick Hurst, founder and CEO of the Battle of Evesham Historical Events and Re-enactments in Worcestershire. Mick has transformed a local re-enactment into an internationally recognised, year-round programme, bringing Evesham’s history to life for thousands of visitors. Mick creates memorable, inclusive experiences while working closely with local businesses to support the wider visitor economy and keep events free to attend. His resilience through challenges, including severe weather and Covid, has built a loyal volunteer community.
International Tourism Award / Regenerative Tourism Award
Regenerative Tourism Award
GOLD: Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton, Lancashire
Silver: Gladwins Farm - Self Catering Holiday Cottages, Suffolk
Bronze: Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, Birmingham
Travel Content Award / Unsung Hero Award
Travel Content Award
GOLD: Rhiannon Batten, The Guardian - ‘From farms to fork: a food-lover’s cycle tour of Herefordshire’
Silver: Emily-Ann Elliott, The i Paper - ‘North Yorkshire’s spa holidays are still the best – and cost less than £225’
Bronze: Chris Leadbeater, The Telegraph - ‘This charming Herefordshire town is the real star of Hamnet’
Unsung Hero Award
GOLD: Jayne Chapman, Farm Manager at Tatton Park, Cheshire
Silver: Vivienne Smith, Volunteer at the National Stone Centre, Derbyshire
Bronze: Andy Black, Café Manager at Horses and Ponies Protection Association, Lancashire
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award / Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Large Hotel of the Year / Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award
Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award
This special award is given each year by the VisitEngland Advisory Board to an individual, institution or collective that has contributed something special and unique to tourism in England. This year, the Advisory Board recognised the excellent planning, the commitment to partnership working and the sheer determination of the small team with a limited budget, who have worked tirelessly on this particular anniversary for over a year already.
It was unanimously agreed that in recognition of this hard work to champion past, present and future this award should go to Butlin’s.
